Favorite Coffee Shops Around the Country: Portola

As a company that makes water bottles and coffee tumblers, we're serious about what goes in them. It doesn't mean we're water snobs or coffee connoisseurs. It just means we enjoy freshwater and have few favorite local coffee shops around the country.

With their Costa Mesa location right down the street from our offices, Portola Coffee Lab has become a local favorite for all of the coffee and tea drinkers at Elemental. It only takes one sip to understand Portola's obsession for their craft. In 2015, they were awarded Roast Magazine's Micro Roaster of the Year.

Portola Coffee Lab was founded by husband and wife co-owners, Jeff and Christa Duggan. Since opening their Flagship Costa Mesa location in 2011, they have opened six additional locations throughout Southern California: Tustin, Santa Ana, Old Towne Orange, Huntington Beach, Missions Viejo, and Long Beach.

Step inside any one of their locations and you'll experience something quite different than any chain coffee shop can provide. Jeff and Christa's eye for detail and desire to push the coffee industry forward can be seen everywhere. From the low countertops that allow you to interact with the baristas to the way they brew your cup of coffee.

Most coffee shops pour you a cup of coffee from a carafe. At Portola, you have the option to choose between the Hario V60; the Hario Siphon, heated by halogen lights; or the Bunn Trifecta.

And the attention to detail extends beyond the device used to make your order. Unlike many knowledgeable third-wave coffee shop baristas, Portola's baristas are both welcoming and down-to-earth. At Portola, you'll experience coffee the way it should be: beans roasted to perfection, served exactly how you like it, free of unneeded syrups, and handed to you by a knowledgeable, yet unpretentious barista.

Enjoy your morning cup on the way to work, or grab a seat, take it slow, and enjoy a pastry from Mr. Holmes bakehouse while sipping an unparalleled cup of joe. So next time you're in Costa Mesa, or near any of their other locations, experience a cup of Portola coffee for yourself.